Are you concerned about how your teeth look? Are they looking stained or are you developing bad breath? If you are a smoker, what you may not realise is how smoking can affect your oral hygiene. At Benhill Dental Practice, we want to help you with smoking cessation in Sutton. We know that it is difficult and that you may have had a bit of ‘stick’ of friends and family about giving up to the point where you don’t want to think about it anymore (the ostrich method can be a firm favourite – stick that head in the sand) but we really do believe that it is important for your health to try and quit. We understand that this isn’t easy, but we have lots of support available; it is important that you have regular checkups with us to monitor your oral health.
What are the dental issues that can arise from smoking?
A lot of people don’t realise that smoking is the main cause of mouth cancer. In fact, every year, thousands of people die from this type of cancer and while it isn’t a pleasant thought, through smoking cessation in Sutton, you can avoid this happening to you if you put your mind to it and stop smoking. We can offer a lot of advice and support on ways to do this when you come to visit us here at Benhill Dental Practice.
Other issues that can also arise from smoking, which may not be as serious but can have a detrimental impact on your self-esteem and well-being are numerous. Tobacco products can be responsible for causing you to have a reduced sense of taste and smell. Also, tobacco can cause your gum tissue cells to be affected and become more prone to periodontal diseases and infections. Perhaps surprisingly, you can also suffer from jawbone loss and shrinking gums, as well as mouth sores which can be difficult to heal, alongside a hairy tongue. Needless to say, the effects of smoking on your oral hygiene don’t sound great and they can be serious if left untreated.
How we can help
While we can’t wave a magic wand to help you stop smoking, we do have a lot of advice about how to quit and most importantly, we can explain in more detail the risks to your mouth if you don’t. Keeping an eye on your mouth is extremely important when you are a smoker; we have the expertise to identify issues you may not be aware of yourself and we can help to treat those problems. We understand that you don’t need to be preached to, so we won’t be trying any of that either! We just want to ensure that your mouth is as healthy as possible with regular checkups and treatment as required.
For further information about how we can help, why not book in for a consultation where we can discuss your individual situation and you can ask as many questions as you need to. We are here to listen to you and advise you accordingly. If you want to book in, our friendly reception staff are ready to take your call, so don’t delay!